SegaShooters Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Does anyone have experience using this handheld and if so, does it handle downloaded GBA ROMS well? Thanks. http://www.dealextreme.com/p/designer-2-9-lcd-portable-handheld-game-console-with-498-built-in-games-black-2gb-24381 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 If you look on Youtube or Google for reviews, it seems to get generally positive comments. I ordered one last month and I'm waiting for it to arrive. When it does I will post some comments after checking it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SegaShooters Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 If you look on Youtube or Google for reviews, it seems to get generally positive comments. I ordered one last month and I'm waiting for it to arrive. When it does I will post some comments after checking it out. Thanks, i'll search for it on Youtube! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) Not sure, but if you scroll down the review by tyrus claims: Cons: *Some of the converted nes games(games past 100) don't work correctly, not a real issue. Just delte them and install more GBA games Edited March 10, 2011 by OldSchoolRetroGamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SegaShooters Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Not sure, but if you scroll down the review by tyrus claims: Cons: *Some of the converted nes games(games past 100) don't work correctly, not a real issue. Just delte them and install more GBA games Hi OldSchoolRetroGamer, I noticed that too, pretty cool how you can download ROMS onto these handhelds though. I'm considering DealExtreme's Dingoo selling for $80.61 shipped. The native emulators seem decent and you just have to transfer ROMS into their directories, which sounds appealing without having to mess with the unit too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pong Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Not sure, but if you scroll down the review by tyrus claims: Cons: *Some of the converted nes games(games past 100) don't work correctly, not a real issue. Just delte them and install more GBA games Hi OldSchoolRetroGamer, I noticed that too, pretty cool how you can download ROMS onto these handhelds though. I'm considering DealExtreme's Dingoo selling for $80.61 shipped. The native emulators seem decent and you just have to transfer ROMS into their directories, which sounds appealing without having to mess with the unit too much. Buy the Dingoo A320. It has support for a lot more emulators, and I'm waiting for the Gemei A330 to have public Dingux support, so we can have our PS1 emulator. Both are really good stand-alone, no real complaints on the NES emulators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I received my GBA clone yesterday. According to the Canada Post web site, it was delayed in Customs for most of the last two weeks. This is the exact model I ordered: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/designer-2-9-lcd-portable-handheld-game-console-with-498-built-in-games-blue-2gb-24379 Pros: It has 2GB of internal storage. The device is pre-loaded with about 100 GBA ROMs and about 400 PocketNES conversions. It came with a North America 120v power supply to charge the internal battery. The screen is very bright and clear. The fit and finish are surprisingly good - at casual inspection, this clone looks and feels exactly like a real GBA. The unit does weigh somewhat lighter; I suspect the plastic shell is not as thick, but the unit feels solid and has no 'creakiness' or flimsiness to it. It does not take AA batteries, but has a replaceable battery that is apparently a SP-compatible, and you can still find those on eBay. I charged the clone fully, and played it for about an hour last night. This seemed to drain the battery about 15% to 20%, so I am guessing that a full charge will last about 4 to 5 hours. Cons: The GBA link port is strictly for charging the battery and loading ROMs from your PC's USB port (cables are included). Of the included GBA ROMs, the compatibility seems very good, with very little frameskip. I understand that if you load additional GBA ROMs, there is a compatibility rate of about 95%. The PocketNES games are not as good, with some minor framskip. The screen resolution doesn't quite seem the same as a real GBA, as I notice some minor pixellation effects. I haven't tried plugging in any GBA carts or connecting it to a PC to transfer any other GBA ROMs to it; I'll try tonight and post an update tomorrow. I plan to take a complete backup of everything on the unit, then wipe off the games I don't like and load some other GBA ROMs that I do enjoy and aren't included with the unit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) More: I added about additional 20 GBA ROMs, and gave about half a dozen some play time last night. The good news is that the compatibility rate is very high; I could not find a ROM that wouldn't run. A couple of games that are heavy with 3D polygons, Star-X and Drome Racer, ran sluggishly. Other than that, other ROMs ran well, with very little frameskip or glitches. I had no problem at all with saving games. As mentioned above, the screen resolution of the backlit screen seems to be a bit different from the standard 240×160 GBA, so graphics sometimes look a bit pixellated. This is minor enough that it can be ignored. The backlighting is very bright and the screen is very clear. If anything, I would like to lower the brightness a notch or two to save on the battery draw, but I haven't figure out if that is possible. There is some bad news; I find the battery life is not impressive. I played the unit for maybe 80 or 90 minutes on a full charge, and the indicator went from full down to about halfway. I will try more this weekend and figure out what the battery life is, but I suspect it is only about 2.5 to 3 hours. Even if it is a rechargable battery this is a real negative. Edited March 18, 2011 by ls650 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I would take this opportunity to build a battery pack for it that bolts on to the back of it, going through the charger port if possible. Drill battery cells work great, they are high capacity and are made for heavy amp draws. Harbor Freight has them cheap. So far I like what I hear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pong Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 If a battery from the GBASP fits, use that. Those last me about 15-20 hours, brightness on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I received my GBA clone yesterday....<snip!> I just wanted to say "Thanks!" for sharing this info. I had wondered about that unit. It's great that you're telling about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaWarrior Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Can you put any Emulators on it, like the Master System & TG-16?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard H. Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 AAMOI where's the best place to get GBA ROM's nowadays ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Google? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 That, or usenet, or torrents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.